Teen beats the odds thanks to bike riding

Published 7:00 pm, Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Joseph Tokarski was born with a congenital heart defect that concealed itself for more than 13 years. It was his love of cycling that would save his life.

Tokarski, a state champion and member of The Woodlands Cycling Club, began riding four yeas ago when he and his father, Kevin Tokarski, also a member of the club, rode the MS 150 together. Joseph never looked back.

"He is a 14-year-old kid racing against men," said Boyd Hemphill, co-founder of The Woodlands Cycling Club.

"On the weekends, I ride about 60 miles a day and usually ride an hour a day during the week," Joseph said. "I ride along (FM) 1488, in and around all of the neighborhoods."

Since that MS 150, his love of riding grew and with it so did the strength of his heart. The more he rode the stronger it became — continually fighting off an illness Joseph knew nothing about.

In January, after leading the Texas Bike Riders Association in cycling points, he became sick and was taken to Texas Children's Hospital after his temperature reached 105 degrees. He was diagnosed with a bicuspid aortic valve and endocarditis.

A properly working aortic valve is best described as opening and closing in the shape of a Mercedes Benz symbol. Joseph's functioned more like a yin-yang. The malfunction did not allow the heart to properly obtain and release blood, disrupting the circulatory system.

To repair the valves and other defects of Joseph's heart, Dr. Charles Fraser, of Texas Children's, performed a surgery that lasted more than nine hours.

"The doctor said that since I exercised a lot it made my heart bigger and made it stronger," Joseph said.

"Riding is the only thing that saved his life; it was the only thing that kept his heart in shape," said Helen Tokarski, Joseph's mother. "Bicycling is what saved his life. If he was a normal 13-year-old, he probably would not have made it."

Following the surgery and a 42-day hospital stay, Joseph sought to regain his strength and cycling ability. Fueled by personal desire and the achievements of five-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong, Joseph was riding again in April and by July was allowed to participate at the Junior Nationals.

The Junior Nationals was his first race following the surgery, and it was his toughest ever. Not having the time to properly train for the event placed Joseph at a disadvantage, but it was nothing he couldn't overcome. He finished in the top 20 after a nine-month layoff and within a few more weeks regained his true form.

"Before his illness, Joseph was the top point-getter for The Woodlands' Cycling Team in 2002," Hemphill said. "He scored over 700 points and was actually the top point-getter in the entire state. This year he was ranked 10th even though he didn't race the first part of the season."

Joseph's abilities enabled the team to place third out of more than 100 teams in the recent racing season.

"Without him we would have been in the 20s somewhere. He has been very valuable to us," Hemphill said. "His achievements are quite similar to how Lance Armstrong was performing at that age."

In the future, Joseph plans to continue racing and developing a winning strategy.

"During the race I sit in at the front of the pack and stay there behind a person or two," Joseph said. "When the sprint starts, I follow the person in the front, letting them do all the work. With about 500 meters to go, I make a move to pass."

Members of the team see a mature young man who has not only the ability but also the knowledge and work ethic to challenge the professional ranks. They see a young man whose ability rivals that of a young Armstrong, and they wish him the best.

Hemphill said Joseph definitely has the motor and with time will gain strength. The team hopes he will have a chance to race professionally in Europe.

Kevin Burandt, club member, said Joseph is very sharp mentally and his attention to the details of caring for his bike, training and studding other riders will take him a long way.

The team's wishes for Joseph align perfectly with his personal goals.

When asked what he wanted to accomplish in the future, he answered with three simple words.